1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to golf tees.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the sport of golf the first shot on each hole is usually made by striking a ball resting on a tee. Golf tees are generally about 2″ in length and made of wood though some are made from polymers. A golf tee has a ball-holding end and a pointed end for inserting into the ground. Both ends are subject to improvements. In recent years design changes in clubs, and particularly drivers, have resulted in a breed most often referred to as, “large head” clubs.
These “large head” drivers have made longer tees more popular as the center of the driver head has moved further from the ground.
There is a problem with these longer tees as they are often so long that it is difficult to adjust them to the ideal height on a consistent basis. Equally difficult is the balancing of a ball on a standard length tee when using a “large head driver. Standard tees are simply too short to position the ball in the “sweet spot” of the clubface. Golfers spend a great deal of time literally trying to balance the ball on the tee that has been minimally inserted into the teeing ground. It is not unusual to see the tee fall over with the ball. A great deal of time is spent re-teeing to get it right.
A golf instructor's first order of business is generally to preach the virtues of repeatability of the entire process of swinging at a golf ball. A tee that can be easily inserted to a repeatable height would be a major improvement in that process. Further, the tee must be capable of providing a stable platform for the ball in a wide variety of terrain.
There have been a large number of attempts to control the height of the golf tee extending above the ground. In one example currently being marketed, a regular tee is provided with a large diameter cylindrical portion directly beneath the top of the tee that creates a stop, limiting the depth of insertion of the tee. While that approach is useful, it provides no variation or adjustability which is needed because of the variety in the size of golf club heads and personal preference for a specific height.
The prior art also includes various arrangements in which one or more elements in addition to the golf tee are employed to adjust the vertical position of a golf tee to fit a golfer's needs.
In spite of these various developments, a need still exists for an improved tee that provides the necessary adjustability of a golf tee, but is nevertheless simple and sufficiently inexpensive to be practical.